Eid-e-Milad celebrations on August 26, 2026, were followed by reports of several incidents across different parts of India that drew police attention and sparked political and public debate. While the occasions were marked by religious processions in several cities and towns, videos and reports from some locations showed the display of foreign flags, alleged brandishing of sharp weapons and an altered national flag. In Mumbai, a confrontation was also reported between members of an Eid procession and local residents.
Police action followed in some of the cases, including an arrest in Karnataka, seizure of foreign flags and registration of FIRs in West Bengal, and an FIR in Uttar Pradesh over the alleged alteration of the national flag. The incidents took place in different states and under different circumstances, and investigations are underway in cases where allegations have been made.
Palestinian flag waved during Eid procession in Karnataka
One of the incidents was reported from Ankola town in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, where a Palestinian flag was allegedly waved during an Eid-e-Milad procession.
According to reports, the person identified in connection with the incident was Mohammed Raza Akbar Ali, a resident of Vitthalghat in Krishnapur. Police took him into custody after he was allegedly seen carrying and waving the Palestinian flag during the procession.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Girish said legal proceedings had been initiated in the matter. He also appealed to people to maintain peace and said appropriate action would be taken against anyone found violating the law.
The incident drew attention because the procession was a local religious event, while the flag displayed was associated with the Palestinian national cause. The episode also came amid heightened sensitivity around the use of foreign political symbols during public religious gatherings.
The police action followed the circulation of visuals and reports about the flag being displayed. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances in which it was brought into the procession and whether any law was violated.
The Ankola incident was one of the cases in which authorities moved quickly, with the individual concerned being taken to the police station and legal proceedings initiated.
Palestinian flags seized during Eid Procession in West Bengal
A similar incident was reported from Islampur in West Bengal, where a Palestinian flag was allegedly waved during an Eid-e-Milad procession.
West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari highlighted the incident in a post on X and said police had seized two foreign flags from different parts of the state during the Eid celebrations. According to him, FIRs were registered against those involved.
West Bengal Government stands firmly committed to safeguarding the freedom of faith, expression and cultural observances for every community.
Religious flags and the pride of our Nation; the Indian Tricolour were carried with full freedom & respect throughout the State on the… pic.twitter.com/VosawePxlp— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 26, 2026
Adhikari said the administration would not tolerate attempts to disturb social harmony or use religious occasions for what he described as external political propaganda. He also praised the Islampur police for confiscating the flags and initiating legal proceedings.
The incident has since become part of a wider political discussion over the use of foreign flags and international political symbols during religious processions in India.
Unlike the Karnataka case, where one individual was identified and detained, the West Bengal episode involved the seizure of two foreign flags, according to the statement cited in reports. The police action is now expected to establish who carried the flags, the circumstances in which they were displayed and whether any offence was committed.
The use of the Palestinian flag has become particularly sensitive in recent years because of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the specific legal position in each incident depends on the circumstances and applicable local laws.
Sharp weapons displayed during Badaun Eid procession
Another incident emerged from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, where visuals from an Eid-e-Milad procession showed participants displaying sharp weapons.
According to the reports, some men were seen sitting on top of a moving vehicle and holding large knives. A child was also reportedly seen with the group in the visuals. The procession was moving along a public road while a song with threatening lyrics was being played over loudspeakers.
The footage attracted attention after being circulated online, with concerns being raised over the display of weapons during a public religious procession.
महोबा- बारावफात के जुलूस में राष्ट्रीय ध्वज का अपमान@mahobapolice @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/cvfJsd0zfV
— India News UP/UK (@IndiaNewsUP_UK) August 27, 2026
The lyrics of the song reportedly referred to eliminating those who commit atrocities against innocent people. The combination of the weapon display and the lyrics became a major point of concern in the reports surrounding the incident.
The episode has raised questions over whether weapons were permitted as part of the procession and whether organisers or participants had obtained the necessary permissions for the event.
However, the available material does not by itself establish the full circumstances behind the visuals or the identities and intentions of all those seen in them. Any criminal liability will depend on the findings of the police investigation.
The incident has nevertheless renewed attention on the enforcement of rules governing weapons, public processions and the use of loudspeakers during religious events.
Altered tricolour carried during Mahoba Eid procession
A separate incident was reported from Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh, where a national flag carried during an Eid-e-Milad procession was allegedly altered.
Visuals circulating online appeared to show the Ashoka Chakra in the centre of the Tricolour replaced by Islamic words. The alteration triggered a reaction on social media and prompted police action.
Following the circulation of the video, police registered an FIR against an unidentified person and began investigating the incident.
The national flag has specific rules governing its design and display, making any alleged alteration a matter for authorities to examine. In this case, investigators will have to determine who made or carried the altered flag and under what circumstances it was used during the procession.
The Mahoba incident is distinct from the cases involving Palestinian flags because it concerns an alleged alteration of the Indian national flag itself.
The FIR means that the matter is now formally under investigation, but the identity of the person responsible and the precise circumstances surrounding the flag had not been established in the material available for this report.
The incident has also added to the wider debate over the symbols used during religious processions and the need for organisers and participants to ensure that national symbols are displayed in accordance with the law.
Mumbai clash during Eid-e-Milad procession
A confrontation was also reported from Mumbai’s Parel-Chinchpokli area on the night of August 26, when an Eid-e-Milad procession was passing through the locality.
According to local accounts cited in reports, a group of people participating in the procession allegedly raised provocative slogans and tore posters near the Laxmi Cottage building. The incident reportedly led to a confrontation involving local Hindus and members of the procession.
The episode created tension in the area and prompted police intervention. Reports said authorities took action after the incident, although details of the number of people involved and the exact sequence of events remained subject to investigation.
The Mumbai incident differs from the other cases because it involved an alleged confrontation between groups rather than the display of a particular flag or national symbol.
Police will have to establish what triggered the confrontation, whether any property was damaged, whether anyone was injured and whether the slogans or actions alleged by local residents constituted offences.
The incident has also raised concerns about maintaining law and order during large religious processions passing through mixed-population neighbourhoods.
Taken together, the five incidents reported from Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have brought renewed attention to the conduct of large religious processions in public spaces.
In Ankola, police detained a man over the alleged display of a Palestinian flag. In West Bengal, police reportedly seized two foreign flags and registered FIRs. In Badaun, visuals showed alleged display of sharp weapons during a procession, while Mahoba police registered an FIR after an allegedly altered Tricolour appeared in procession footage. In Mumbai, a confrontation was reported during a procession in the Parel-Chinchpokli area.
